Roads were closed across the Mount Alexander Shire and the local region as Thursday’s rain event saw local creeks and rivers burst their banks and flood roads, footpaths, parks, reserves and impact homes and businesses. Local residents are being urged to take care and not enter floodwater.
Motorists which encounter floodwater over roads in the region are urged to turn around and find an alternate route. Do not enter floodwater as you could put yourself and emergency responders at risk. SES volunteers warn it doesn’t take much to make your car become unstable, lose traction or wash away. In fact , it only takes 15cms of water to float a small car. Just don’t risk it.
VIDEO: Cairn Curran spillway surging after heavy rains
Gingell and Bruce Streets were once again flooded and Camp Reserve and the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens were inundated with a massive body of water. All roads into the township were cut as residents at Castlemaine, Chewton, Elphinstone, Barkers Creek, Campbells Creek, Yapeen, Guildford, Newstead and Baringhup braced for flooding.
Power was cut to 9800 Thursday evening when Powercor/Citipower forced to switch off the Castlemaine substation due to rising floodwaters from Campbells Creek.
Powercor/Citipower teams and emergency services had been monitoring the situation for days and striving to keep the water out with sandbagging, raising equipment and using pumps. Despite these actions, rising floodwaters reached a level at the Castlemaine zone substation that made it unsafe to keep power on at the site.
“We have been unable to keep water out of our control room and as a result we have de-energised the substation,” a spokesperson said.
“We have taken this step to reduce the safety risk to emergency services and our employees and to minimise long term damage as much as possible in the circumstances.”
By late Thursday predictions on the restoration of power blew out to 6pm Friday. However, as rain ceased and the flood level dropped late Thursday power was able to be restored.
The situation will continue to be monitored over Friday and beyond.
VIDEO: Forest Creek creeps higher as rains continue
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